There are bills to be paid for energy usage. And like most homeowners, you want to know how to make your home more energy efficient and reduce costs.
However, making your home more energy efficient is way easier than expected. Simple behavioral adjustments like switching off lights when not in use can go a long way to getting you the results you desire. But that’s not all you can do to attain optimum energy efficiency in your home.
In this article, we’ll go through the seven ways for you to make your home more energy efficient
Insulate Your Walls and Attic
One of the ways to make your home more energy efficient is by working on your home insulation. A well-insulated home reduces energy usage by preventing air leakage. Old and a few new homes with huge attics are characterized by constant air leakage due to thin or inconsistent walls and attic insulation.
In order to improve on this, you can hire a professional contractor to get this done. However, make sure an infrared camera is used. Especially, while installing fiberglass, foam, or cellulose insulation. This infrared camera makes it possible to see all voids and gaps.
Furthermore, the material and amount of insulation your home needs depend on the size of your home and the climatic conditions in your region.
Seal Windows In Your Home
In order to make your home energy efficient, you need to reduce heat loss and find ways to keep more heat in or out (depending on the weather). So, you can check windows in your home for air leaks and get them sealed.
But, if your windows are drafty, you should consider adding some weatherstripping around their frames. Also, a bead of silicone caulk can be added over cracks in your drywall. Sealing cracks
and air leaks in your home and windows are inexpensive. And, it does a good job to lower the energy cost in your home.
Make An Habit To Lower Your Thermostat
While you are away from your home, it is a good practice to make a habit of reducing your thermostat. When you reduce the temperature of your thermostat by 3-5 degrees, it will also make a difference by reducing your utility bill for the month.
Did you know that if you constantly lower your thermostat by 10-15 degrees during work hours or while away, you can save up to 5-15% energy annually?
Be Cautious of Water Usage
Using water unconsciously is one of the ways you can waste energy in your home. According to the EPA(Environmental Protection Agency, US, as an average homeowner, you can save up to $170 annually if you make small adjustments to your water usage.
It’s easy to use water unconsciously. For instance, while brushing your teeth, 90% of homeowners leave the water running even while it is not being used for mouth rinsing.
Did you know, on average, without the shower, 35-50 gallons of water is used for bathing? On the other hand, bathing with the shower uses approximately 25 gallons on average. So, installing and bathing with the shower can be a way to reduce your water usage.
Furthermore, with your laundry, you should stop running half-load of your laundry in your washer at once. If you can get your full laundry done with one load, you should do that instead. This way you are saving water and energy wastage.
Using the Home Power Usage Calculator
One of the ways to make your home more energy efficient is by using a home power usage calculator. The saying goes “Anything that can be measured, can be managed properly.” However, in this regard, you’ll make use of the home power usage calculator.
This makes you more cautious of your appliance’s power usage and your general power usage. You’ll find this helpful to make your home more energy efficient. You’ll be able to discard or replace appliances whose energy consumption is excessively high.
Use LEDs And Discard Incandescent Bulbs
Incandescent bulbs are not energy efficient. If you use the home power usage calculator to estimate the power usage of your incandescent bulbs, you’ll find out it is on the other side.
Also, in pursuit of energy efficiency, most manufacturers stopped the production of 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs. You should discard your Incandescent bulbs and replace them with Halogen Bulbs, Light Emitting diodes (LED), or Compact Fluorescent Lamp(CFL).
LEDs and CFLs are long-lasting and more energy efficient when compared with Incandescent bulbs. You can save up to 75% on energy usage when you replace your incandescent bulbs with LED or CFLs.
In addition, An average home uses approximately 40 bulbs for proper lighting. So, if you switch to less energy-consuming bulbs, you’ll be saving a lot on your electricity bill and make your home more energy efficient.
Reduce Space Heaters Usage
Using space heaters when the weather is cool is good if you want to keep your feet nice and warm. However, most space heaters consume quite a lot of energy. On average, a space heater uses about 1500 watts of energy to function.
But how can you use a space heater and still make your home energy efficient? First, you need to make sure the model of your space heater is built to be energy efficient. Then, you reduce your usage of space heaters. Instead, you can invest in more blankets and clothes layering to keep your feet warm.
Carry Out An Energy Audit
Another way you can make sure your home is energy efficient is by carrying out an energy audit. You can consider hiring a professional auditor. He’ll be able to help you evaluate all energy wastage and inefficiencies in your home.
In addition, a professional auditor will also pinpoint areas where improvements are needed to make your home more energy efficient.
However, if you don’t want to hire a professional, you can use the Home Power Usage Calculator as mentioned earlier to audit your home energy usage
Conclusion
An energy audit using a professional energy auditor is a great start towards making your home more energy efficient. Then, making improvements based on your home energy auditor’s recommendations should get you the energy efficiency result you desire. Also, replace Incandescent bulbs and other non-energy efficient appliances in your home.